Ministry, Truett Cathy, and Sweet Pickels

I wanted to write this blog earlier in the week, but just never got around to it.  I'm kinda glad I didn't, for reasons you are about to read.

We lost two members of the Chick-fil-A family this week.  Well.....lost isn't the proper word.  I mean, we know where they are, they are just no longer here with us.  Truett Cathy was the founder of Chick-fil-A.  He started with the Original Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, GA, and built it into the Chick-fil-A franchise we know today.  I'm not sure there is anything I can say that hasn't already been said about a man who modeled his life and business around his love for God, his family, and a tasty chicken sandwich.

I have been in a lot of different types of business and ministry settings in my career, but never has a setting been more transparent than what I have experienced at Chick-fil-A.  What you see portrayed in public is exactly what you see behind the scenes.  From the leadership to the team members, we truly work as a team for a common goal, "To glorify God by being good stewards of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A."

The morning after Mr. Cathy died, I had a guest ask me if Chick-fil-A would continue to follow the principles that Mr. Cathy had set forth.  Dan Cathy has been CEO for several months now.  I don't know him personally, but I feel like I do, and as I told our guest that morning, I have the utmost confidence that Chick-fil-A will continue to be led as it always has.  I am proud to be a small part of what God is doing in and through Chick-fil-A.

JoRita Pickel had been employed with Chick-fil-A for about 17 years.  I came to know JoRita when I was hired as a team member just last March.  She trained me to successfully work the front counter register.  Until I was promoted to leadership, I worked beside her almost every day, greeting guests and making them feel like part of our family.  She set the standard that we all follow.  Everyone who came to Chick-fil-A Bristol Mall knew JoRita Pickel.  She was an institution in and of herself.  She desired to know everything about everyone who came within 10 feet of her.  She manned register 4 like a boss.  In our restaurant, register 4 is situated in such a way that almost everyone who comes into the store has to pass somewhere close to her.  It is also near the waiting area where guests stand to receive their food.  Jo would always engage people in conversation.  It makes 2 minutes seem like 30 secs and 5 mins seem like 2.  After I became a leader in our store, there were times when I wished she might move guests through a little faster, but I never said anything because she was always engaged, always engaging guests in such a way to enrich their experience in our restaurant.  She delivered 2nd Mile service like no one.

Jo was a stickler for the rules, for quality, and doing things right.  She was in charge of our quality assessments each day.  She assigned assessments to people every day, and you better make sure you had yours done before she came in the next day because she was going to ask you about it.  She wanted things done the right way and done with excellence.  I loved that about her.  It made all of us better.  She didn't get around real well, but it was ok because the rest of us enjoyed serving her as she served our guests.  If she needed tea in her tea urn, she would make a heart with her fingers and point it in the nearest person's vicinity.  She would shortly have tea in the tea urn.  She loved doing dishes.  At times she would volunteer to go into the kitchen to help the prep guys with dishes if they needed it.  She displayed a servant's heart in all she did.

She had a nickname for almost everyone.  From Smiley, to Handsome, to Mr. Poston, to Barbie, to Buster Brown, she knew how to endear herself to others.  I had a nickname for her, too.  She was Sweet Pickel.  However, we all knew she could go from Sweet Pickel to Dill Pickel in 0.2 seconds if our quality or excellence dropped....haha.

JoRita died on Thursday, just four days after Truett Cathy.  But in death, as believers in Jesus, they are more alive now than they ever have been.

Truett Cathy and JoRita Pickel embodied the spirit of Chick-fil-A.  They modeled it for all to see.  And now the rest of us must pick up the mantel and carry on in like manner.

And in the spirit of Columbo (thanks Dr. Kuykendall), just one more thing.....I've had many people over the last year-and-a-half ask me when I'm going back into ministry.  My response?  I have a ministry wherever I am.  I don't have to be on staff full-time at a church to have a ministry.  God has given me a ministry right where I am at Chick-fil-A.  God has allowed me to be a part of my co-workers' and our guests lives at points of joy and pain.  I had the privilege of being with JoRita's family when the doctor told them she had passed.  I had the opportunity to pray with them, and I pray that my presence was a blessing to them in a difficult time.  I'm grateful to Jo's pastor for informing us that Jo was being transported to the hospital and to Holly, our Interim Manager, for asking me to go to the hospital to represent Chick-fil-A.

Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  So, are you still asking the question?  When am I going back into ministry?

Truth is........I never left.

Be REMARKable, my friends.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge......

I was recently challenged by my good friend Jerry Aaron to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  The challenge goes that if you do not do the ice bucket you are to donate $100 to an ALS research facility.  If you do the ice bucket, you still donate but only $10.  I will be donating my $10 to the ALS research foundation below:

John Paul II Medical Research Institute
www.jp2mri.org/capital-campaign.htm

The reason for this is the ALS Foundation uses embryonic stem cells.  The JPII MRI uses adult stem cells for their research.  You may donate to the foundation of your choice.

I challenged Phil LaPonsie, Andy Wiggins, Dr. Dennis Phelps, and Phil Weaver.

Stones of Remembrance........

The last few weeks have brought on a few milestones.  All four of us are working now.  Jacob got his first non-seasonal job with Hambino's Pizza Co. a couple weeks ago.  For those of you who know Jacob, getting him out of his shell has been quite a challenge, getting a job was made all the more difficult due to his introverted qualities.  The owner of Hambino's saw something in him that he could work with.  It seemed that all others did not or would not.  He took Jacob on with the promise that he would train him to be what he wanted Jacob to be and do in the store.  That is true leadership.  Not sure where this will lead for Jacob, but it has done him a world of good, and we will be eternally grateful to this man.

Christy and I took Michael last weekend to audition at AMDA, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy.  AMDA is a college and conservatory for the performing arts.  He set a goal to go to school there next year after he graduates.  He did his best to prepare for the audition (bought his own music score and selected his monologue).  He set a goal to audition and he achieved that goal.  If he gets selected now is up to the school, but we are proud of him regardless.  We've always told our kids to "not say no for other people."  In other words, if he had not auditioned, he would have been saying no for them, and he would never know if they would have accepted him or not.  By auditioning, he put the "yes or no" decision on them, plus we got to see New York City.... :-)

I turned "hmmmmm" years old this week.  I used to think this age was old, but the older I get the more I realize how young it really is, and, I guess, how short life is.

Christy and I also celebrated 22 years of marriage this week (well, the same day as my birthday...:-) ).  I thank God every day for the support she has been to me over these years.  It's not easy living the life we have, moving around quite a lot, but she has been my rock, especially over the last year.  This past year has been a challenge professionally and personally.  I know some of the difficulties I brought on myself, but some were thrust upon us through no fault of our own.  Strong, enduring marriages work through their difficulties and do not give up.  They allow God to work through them, knowing that He is working everything for our good and His glory.  I'm still her "fool in the bushes" (yeah, there is a story there...haha) and am eternally grateful that God has given me a helpmeet who is in it "for better or for worse."  I love you.

When I think about this past year, and really over the years of my life, I can't help but think of the Israelites before they went into the Promised Land.  They set up a "stone of remembrance" on the banks of the Jordan River to remind them of God's faithfulness. Joshua 4:7 says, "These stones shall be a remembrance to the children of Israel forever."  Through the good and through the trying circumstances, God is faithful!

The Essence of Leadership

"Managers control, leaders inspire."  I shared these words with a CFA team member who is leaving to attend Law School in Grundy, VA.  It's always hard to lose good people who are not only good at what they do, but also very versatile.  On her last day (well, she will be back for seasonal work), she was thanking us all for allowing her to work over the summer.  I commented that it was a pleasure for us that she was here those months.  One thing I want her to remember from her time at CFA is those four words....Managers control, leaders inspire.

Managers keep their thumb on their workers, micromanaging every aspect.  Managers look for ways that their workers can make them look better.  Managers are consistently dependent upon things: numbers, budgets, tasks, etc.  Admiral Grace Murray Hopper once said, "You manage things, you lead people."  How true this is.  Activity doing "things" is not leadership.  You can be the busiest person in the world and still not know how to lead.  Don't get me wrong,  I'm as much of a numbers person as anyone.  When the choice comes on whether or not to do the math, I want to do the math.  I love numbers probably more than I should, but numbers are things that can be managed, and they are not the main focus.

In his book "One Piece of Paper:  The Simple Approach to Powerful, Personal Leadership, Mike Figliuolo writes, "Great leaders have a keen ability to inspire others to tap into their own pools of energy in a way that unleashes their innate potential."  Wow!  Unpack that statement for a moment and think of the number of people you can think of who are true leaders.  Can you think of any?  

People ask me if I miss ministry.  I know what they mean.  They mean do I miss being in a church, full-time, on staff.  My answer is always this:  I have a ministry no matter where I am, no matter what I am doing.  I don't have to be on staff full-time at a church to be "in ministry."  I have the awesome privilege every day to not only inspire those around me with whom I work, but I have the awesome privilege to brighten someone's day with something as simple as a smile and a chicken sandwich.  Do we have our crabby customers, you bet, just like we do in the church.  However, I've found that for every crabby customer, there are probably 10 or more whose lives I get to touch on a daily basis in a positive way.

My goal every day is to inspire others to be more than they could ever dream to be.  To inspire my team to do their best, not because they have to, but because they want to.  To tap into their own pools of energy and unleash their innate potential.  That was the way Jesus led.  He took a ragtag bunch of men and transformed and inspired them to be change agents in their world through His power.  May we move past managing people, and learn how to truly lead.

Varmints and Hills and Running……Oh My!

My quest to repeat as a Beast continued this past Saturday in beautiful Burke’s Garden, VA.  Burke’s Garden, known as God’s Thumbprint, is a beautiful area of Virginia with mountains on each side.  Don’t let the scenery fool you.  This Half Marathon is one of the toughest.  Its hilly terrain will challenge even the most seasoned runner.

This will be Christy and my second trip to Burke’s Garden for the Varmint race, and we think the second time will be better than the first.  When we went last year, we knew nothing of the area.  There are no hotels in Burke’s Garden.  The nearest place to stay is in Claypool Hill, about 28 miles and 45 minutes away from the race site.  Our dining choices are just as slim.  Last year, we chose a Mexican place in Richlands that was…well….less than Mexican.  When your waiter’s southern accent is thicker than yours, you know it’s not going to be a good experience.  No Spanish spoken there. 

This year, we chose Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque in Pounding Mill.  Cuz’s had been recommended on a blog by another runner, so we took the chance.  You’ll miss Cuz’s if you’re not looking for it, even though it sits right on the side of the road.  There is no sign that has the name on it, only a fence that has spelled out in huge letters, THIS IS HIT.  Yeah, I didn’t make a typo.  That is exactly how it is spelled.  Maybe it’s a local thing.  Anyway, we gave it a chance.  Cuz’s looks like an old barn that’s been converted into a restaurant. The place was packed. We were seated and looked over the menu.  The words were all jumbled together in run on phrases.  No spaces, it really was a mess.  Close to where we were was a doorway with what looked like wrestling action figures attached to the doorframe.

We both ordered the Barbeque Pork platter.  We expected to be able to put our own BBQ sauce on our pork, but that was a huge mistaken assumption.  Most BBQ restaurants will give you sauces on the table to pour over the pork on your platter, but not at Cuz’s.  This pork was cooked in the BBQ sauce.  It was a bit more sauce than pork and wasn’t as good as I would have expected. 

The race was to start at 8am.  We left the hotel at 6:30, grabbed a quick breakfast (McDonald’s), and began the trek over the mountain to Burke’s Garden.  We arrived around 7:20 and went to check in.  I don’t like to stand around a lot before races so we try to arrive as close to the start time as possible.  I make sure that I do arrive in enough time to stretch and to apply Body Glide, which has become my best purchase for the last few years. 

I always have a goal for finishing.  Last year I finished in 2:03:29.  My goal for this year was to finish in less than 2 hours, a challenging goal but not unattainable. After having run the Varmint Half last year, I think I know where I can attack the course and where I need to hold back.  The clock strikes 8am.  A few announcements, a prayer, the National Anthem, and we are ready to run.  In front of us are 13.1 grueling miles.

I’ve wanted to buy a GoPro camera to be able to video a race from start to finish with commentary.  At this point funds are an obstacle to that dream.  So I decided about 2 miles into the race that I would use my phone, which is also my race timer, to video myself at certain points along the race.  I’ll add those in as the blog continues.  If you get seasick watching video that shakes (like me), you might want to skip the videos. 

Miles 1-3.5

The first mile is downhill and lulls the unsuspecting into a false sense of security.  I know the most treacherous of the hills is coming at about mile 3.5.  I start at a steady pace of about 8:45 min/mile.  To finish under 2 hours, I need to average fewer than 9:15 min/mile.  So far so good.

We make the turn toward mile 2 and begin a slow upward climb.  Still running a good, comfortable pace that hill is still in the back of my mind.  Mile 3 begins the steep climb up the hardest hill on the course.  Making it through this part of the course gives you the feeling that you can make it the entire way.  I passed many who started to walk at this point.  One young guy was standing halfway up the hill on the side of the road puking.  Yeah, it’s that steep.  I backed off my pace a little on this hill knowing that I wouldn’t be able to attack this hill and still make my goal.  I made it to the top with a sense of accomplishment knowing the next mile and a half was downhill and flat.

Miles 3.5-6.5

After conquering the steepest hill on the course and still maintaining my PR pace, I felt resolve to continue on a good trajectory toward the halfway mark.  I try to break my races down into segments.  If I can run a certain segment at a certain pace then I can finish at a certain time.  It also helps on the longer runs to break it down.  I always think on my half marathons that once I make it to the halfway mark the miles start counting down instead of up.  It’s a sense of accomplishment to make it to the halfway mark and begin the turn toward the finish line.  The next segment was pretty much flat or downhill with an occasional upward slope.  Nothing really big and I made great time during this part of the race.  I passed a few people who had started before me and that made me feel stronger.  Although passing what looked like a 65 year old man, doesn’t have quite the ring to it…haha.  But I did pass a few runners younger than I am. Overall pleased with this part of the run.

 

Miles 6.5-11

The halfway point is on the very backside of the course route.  It has some short steep hills but nothing major.  By this point in the race you really get to thinking that you can hold your pace and finish strong.  At mile 10, a runner came along beside me.  I rarely talk to runners along the course. He spoke to me as he was about to pass.  I spoke back and found out he was from just outside Johnson City.  This was his first time to run the Varmint Half and was shooting for less than two hours.  I knew he would make it.  He encouraged me by running alongside me, but by mile 11 had left me in his dust.  Mile 10.5-12 is an out and back on Litz Lane before you turn for the finish line. 

                                    

Miles 11-13.1

The last two miles are medium rolling with two hills, one leads right up to the finish line.  With most Half’s that I run, if I have anything left, I like to sprint to the finish.  The uphill climb to the finish line at the Varmint would prove to be a challenging sprint.  As I topped the hill, my eye caught the clock at the finish line.  I crossed at 1:59.07, a PR for me at that distance, shattering my time from last year by 4 minutes.

Christy always gets a picture or video of me crossing the finish line, but this time I also wanted to have one from my perspective. 

                                   

As I crossed the finish line There Is A God by 33 Miles was playing on my iPod.  All I could think was, how could anyone see this beautiful country here and not believe that.  Psalm 19:1 rolled through my mind, “The heavens declare the glory of the God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.” 

Whether we are running, or walking, or just admiring the scenery; the beauty of the earth declares…There Is A God.  This is the proof.  And all around the evidence is speaking the truth.  From the center of my soul to the edge of the universe, creation is crying out, believe it or not, there is a God.

Keep moving forward.

I Almost Didn't Do It.........

The 2^nd Annual Bristol Half and Half Relay was this past Saturday.  I almost didn’t do it.  Last year the race course was very difficult.  We were warned that the course was going to be challenging, and it was.  Even with that, I finished last year’s race at 2 hours 5 minutes.

This year…..I almost didn’t do it.  I had vowed that even though I completed The Beast series last year (which consists of 5 half marathons), that I would not do the Bristol Half again.  I almost didn’t do it.  However, the competitor in me, and the promise of a less difficult course, prompted me to give it another try.

The course was still challenging, and will probably be the most difficult half I will complete this year, but it was not as difficult as last year.  The course was redesigned and to a point.  The race starts on the track at Virginia High and ends at the Stone Castle at Tennessee High.  Running through two states in one city is the hook.  I’ve pretty much decided there is no way to map any racecourse in Bristol without any hills.  It’s just a fact of life.  So, as I’m apt to see on the backs of people who pass me on the course, “Suck it up, buttercup.”

So, I did.  I had set a goal of finishing in 2 hours 2 minutes.  That would be 3 minutes better than my time for last year’s race.  Still challenging, but attainable for me.  My ultimate goal this year is to finish at least one half marathon under 2 hours.  I had not trained much over the last 3 months leading up to the race so I was not expecting much in the way of a great finishing time.  I just wanted to finish and enjoy the run.

I keep up with my time throughout each race and pretty much calculate in my head what it will take to finish at a certain time.  By the split time at mile 6 was at 54 minutes.  The wheels began to turn and I knew that if I kept that pace there was a chance I could finish under 2 hours.  But there were still 7.1 miles to go.  I sent Christy a text (yes, I texted during the race…haha) at the halfway mark.  I was still under the time to finish in less than two hours.

Mile 8, still at a good pace…….

Mile 10, another txt….still going fairly strong……..

I normally hit a wall between miles 10 and 12, but by the time I got to mile 12, there was no wall.  My legs felt strong and I wasn’t winded at all.  I knew it was going to be close to 2 hours, but at this point all I’m thinking is that I have just over a mile to go. 

Mile 13…….one tenth of a mile left…..the Stone Castle right in front of me…..I turned the corner into the parking lot and looked for the time clock….. 1 hour 59 minutes 18 seconds.  I felt I still had something left in the tank and started running faster.  I crossed the finish line in 1 hour 59 minutes 29 seconds.  Thirty-one seconds under my ultimate goal for this year, shattering last year’s time by about 6 minutes.  By the time Christy found me at the finish line, I was bawling and saying, “I did it” over and over.  Never thought it would happen at this race, but it did.

During 13.1 miles you have a lot of time to think.  There were two things that rolled around in my head…..First, every hill is an opportunity for growth.  When I first started running I wanted every run to be flat.  A friend of mine told me that the hills make you stronger, faster.  I’ve found that to be true.  I knew there were some hills in this half that I could attack.  So, I did.  There were some that I would hold back on.  That strategy paid off.  While the course was challenging, I didn’t look at it as not doable.  It was just another course.  Each hill was just another obstacle in my way to my ultimate goal.  Don’t let the hills in your life keep you from accomplishing your goals.  Attack the ones you can.  The ones that seem too daunting, take them slower….but keep moving forward.

Second, don’t let your past dictate your future.  If I had done that, I never would have competed in this year’s Bristol Half and never would have accomplished my goal.  We all have things in our past, even me, that we aren’t proud of, things we might do over if we had the chance, mistakes we have made along the way.  Don’t let those things dictate your future.  Don’t wallow in the “I can’ts” and the “you’ll never’s.”  You can overcome your past, it doesn’t have to dictate your future.

I almost didn’t do it……but as I sit here today, I’m so glad I did.